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Longing for the younger Dwight Howardhttps://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/09/longing-for-the-younger-dwight-howard/
https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/09/longing-for-the-younger-dwight-howard/#respondMon, 09 Apr 2012 23:32:27 +0000http://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/?p=219Maybe some people don’t get more mature with age

Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy just had the most awkward encounter since my most recent blind date. The SparkNotes version is that Van Gundy told reporters Howard had asked management that he be fired. Right as he finishes saying this, Howard walks up with that big smile on his face, and makes a joke to Van Gundy. SVG wants no part of this situation and leaves. Howard just walked into the lion’s den of reporters, and he’s wearing a meat suit.

This isn’t close to the first time Dwight has been in the news this season. You may remember his see-saw “I’m staying, I’m going” routine before the trade deadline, before finally signing his ETO to stay with the team through next season.

In this shortened NBA season, we’ve really gotten to see another side of Dwight Howard, and it isn’t pretty.

If you want a trade, you have to have the respect for the organization, your teammates and the fans to just ask for it. Don’t play coy and pretend like you don’t want out. Own up to it.

No one should ever fault somebody for wanting better teammates. In business you want better colleagues; it’s all the same thing. If the best are around you, you will have a better chance to succeed, no matter what you may be doing.

That’s why I have no problem with someone wanting out of a bad situation. But it would be nice if they did it wisely, without alienating their teammates and fans. The back and forth, the denials, no fan-base deserves this (except maybe those annoying Philly fans).

But this situation that the Magic is in doesn’t surprise me. There is always a star that wants out. What does surprise me is the player that is pulling the strings right now.

Dwight was like...

I never expected this nightmare from Dwight. He’s always so happy on the court, with his big smile and somewhat carefree attitude. He’s doing impressions, goofing around and just enjoying the game of basketball.

He’s been blasted for this in years past, by people believing that he doesn’t care about winning enough and he’s having too much fun on the court.

I never agreed with this idea. Howard played how I imagined I would play if I was lucky enough to make the NBA; like someone who truly loved the game and knew how blessed he was to be playing a sport for a living. He cared, but he just had a different way of showing it.

Now when I watch videos of his impressions today, it seems so empty. Like everything up to this was a lie. It didn’t seem like an act, but maybe it was. Dwight might not be the guy I thought he was.

...then he was like.

The way he’s acted, I’ve lost a lot of respect for him, not as a player but as a man. And maybe this is my issue, looking up to athletes as something more than a supremely talented ball player. But sport consumes so much of my life; I want to have more of a connection with these athletes.

But the more I try to connect with these guys, the more I get disappointed. The same thing happened with LeBron James two summers ago.

I didn’t hate LeBron’s decision. I hated The Decision. It didn’t matter where he went—although in all honesty I’d love for him to go to my favorite team, because he’s the best player in the league—it mattered how he went.

Just like it’s not always what you say, it’s how you say it, LeBron announced his destination incorrectly (and I don’t just mean the now infamous line “I’m taking my talents to South Beach,” although that was dumb too). He wanted fanfare surrounding him. He wanted to make it extravagant.

And now Dwight does too.

The thing that used to piss me off about Howard was that he blocked shots into the fifth row, instead of catching the ball or blocking it into the ground. But now, his on the court play is the least of his worries in my eyes.

I wish we could go back to the way it was with Dwight…I miss being mad at him for making athletic basketball plays.

With the lockout shortened season and offseason, it has been a crazy, shortened lead-up to the first games on Christmas day. These past few weeks have been led by Dwight Howard and Chris Paul wanting trades out of their current location. This has caused uproar against NBA stars “asking out” of their current situations, and not just from fans of the Magic or Hornets, but by NBA fans all over—including some still bitter Cleveland fans.

This fan reaction is based on the idea that they have supported said players, and those guys shouldn’t just turn their back on the team and city. But if we look at it from the players’ viewpoint, it is a little different.

I am a fan, I love sports, and in particular basketball. I have a favorite team that we cheer for, and of course I’d be upset if the team I cheered for lost its best player. But fans shouldn’t look at it as the player stabbing us in the back. It’s a business decision for the athlete.

I think fans believe in loyalty in sports, but it isn’t necessarily true because it’s different for fans and players. Fans have, for the most part, loved the same team their entire lives (And if a fan has switched teams there is a good chance they aren’t truly fans, and have no right to be upset about “their favorite team” losing a player.). Because of this lifetime connection, fans are more attached to a team than the players are.

And for the players it’s a business when it comes down to it: it’s their job. Their employer is the Los Angeles Lakers or the Memphis Grizzlies or whomever. They probably didn’t grow up watching and loving that team the way a fan has.

They’ve been playing for a certain team for six years, not quite the amount of time you need to develop a connection and love for something (unless it’s a love for Chipotle, then that only takes one glorious trip and a few seconds of a delicious burrito). It’s their job, and Vince Carter aside, they mostly try their best night in and night out.

And that’s really all a fan can ask for—while a player is on the team, he does the best he can. And if he stays his entire career, or just finishes his rookie contract, that’s life.

Cavs fans were not happy with "The Decision"

There were so many negative things said about LeBron James when he left Cleveland, but what would fans have done in that situation. Money isn’t a problem to James, with what he’s made on the court and his endorsement deals off it, he doesn’t need the cash. So it was really an opportunity for LeBron: an opportunity to go play with his buddies, in Miami, and still make a lot of money. And his buddies just happen to be some of the best players in the league.

If I had the chance to work with two of my best friends, in a beautiful location and make a lot of money, I would do it in a second (Hell, I’ve had this conversation with a couple of my friends already, and think it would be a dream situation to work with people you have such a good time with.). And most fans probably would as well. We wouldn’t make our decision on a nationally televised special, because that is just stupid and “ego-tastic,” but we’d probably go work, and more importantly have fun, with our friends. And I don’t want Dwight or LeBron giving me career advice, unless it’s in the form of a check with a lot of zeroes.

So now that Paul and Howard are asking for trades, fans shouldn’t be getting upset again. It’s life…it’s their business. This is what happens in business. If people see something better going on in another company, even at a competitor, they make the move. You don’t want to be stuck in a bad job, with coworkers who aren’t able to help you reach your potential, right? When we make business decisions, we probably don’t think about how it will affect every last customer. Why do we hold athletes to higher standards?

Dwight could have gone about this in a better fashion.

If you want out, that’s fine, but either say you want out, or live with the situation. Dwight Howard asked for a trade then later said he wanted to stay in Orlando and he loved it there, or some line of crap he threw into the faces of the fans. Look, Dwight, and any other NBA player, has a right to ask for a trade and get out of his current location. Although from where I am right now, Orlando looks like a pretty sweet place to live. But if he wants to go that’s fine; just don’t go back and forth.

It’s bigger than him, he’s messing with the fans and that isn’t right. If you ask for a trade and the Magic don’t accept an offer, then you’ll have to play there for a year. But don’t try to make it easier for yourself by saying you love it there. If you loved it so much, you wouldn’t have requested a trade in the first place.

In a perfect world, he would quietly ask the GM for a trade, and go about his business as usual. And if a trade didn’t happen, then he would play the year out. Howard and Paul (who has already been traded) are both set to be free agents after this year anyway. After the 2011-2012 season, they are free to go wherever they want. And I mean wherever they want. Whether that is Orlando, New York, Los Angeles, Turkey or China…he earned the right to make his decision.

In a recent article Sam Smith commented on something similar to this. “Many of the NBA’s stars have transcendent talent, but they lack the will and desire to stand up for anything but their own comfort,” Smith wrote. You wish somewhere along the way someone was able to coach and teach them, but they probably never had the desire or inclination. And so they keep searching for the easy way.”

And with this idea in mind, doesn’t this make the guys like Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant that much more special? They want to win where they are. They did luck out with their teams though, don’t get me wrong. Both guys are in better situations than LeBron and Chris Paul were in, but I don’t think it would matter to them either way. They are happy to be in the city they are in, with the teammates they have.

As a Bulls fan, I’d hate to see Rose go somewhere else. It would kill me if he was doing reverse layups or tomahawk dunks in colors other than red and white, but that’s the game. I’d still love him, I’d still cheer for him…I’d be lying if I said it would be the same, but I know that’s part of sports.

That’s why I feel bad for fans when their favorite player leaves, or their team’s best player wants a trade. But that’s how professional sports are.

And if we flip this around, the owners would do the same thing if they had a chance. LeBron wasn’t worth any more to Dan Gilbert than what he could get out of him. There is no loyalty for sport’s owners; it’s what have you done for me lately and what can you do in the future. If LeBron wasn’t selling out Cleveland home and away games, Gilbert wouldn’t have cared if he went to Miami. But since he was the face of the franchise he should have less say in his situation?

That seems backwards to me…he should have more say, because he earned it more. Those Cleveland teams were not good—er they were actually really bad. Yet, LeBron brought them to Eastern Conference Semifinals three times, the Eastern Conference Finals once and the NBA Finals once as well. Without LeBron, that team would have won around 20 games, much like they did last season, when they won 19 in their first post-LeBron season.

Cavs fans should be able to love LeBron for what he gave them those seven years in Cleveland, not what he did on that hour television special. LeBron had the right to choose wherever he wanted to go…he shouldn’t have made his Decision the way he did, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have the right to choose.

And in the end, it comes down to the player’s choice. Because as fans, we may put a lot into the game, but our opinions don’t matter much, only our wallets do.

The three-step drop, a quick release and big yardage through the air all come to mind when thinking of the prototypical NFL quarterback. If you’re a Tim Tebow follower these are misconceptions.

After appearing in less than a season’s worth of games, Tim Tebow has built himself sort of a cult following, no pun intended. In true Tebow fashion, he has attracted these followers in an unconventional way. Tebow is a rare “good guy” in football and simply wins games.

The Tebow legend grew from high school and while playing at the University of Florida, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 2008 and led his team to two BCS National Championships (07’ and 09’). However, all the renown from college couldn’t earn Tebow the respect of pro scouts. Considered to be one of the best college players ever, Tebow didn’t garner the attention of other QB prospects.

…And with the 25th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos were willing to take a chance on Tebow. “NFL defenders will have a field day against Tim Tebow, he’ll be a bust.” Tebow and Denver heard it all and are now proving the naysayers wrong.

Tim Tebow is 7-1 as a starting QB and the Broncos’ 8-5 record is good enough for 1st in the AFC West. The Broncos’ success however cannot be wholly attributed to Tebow. Elvis Dumerville and Von Miller, who is 7th in the NFL with 11.5 sacks, provide a consistent pass rush for the secondary with the timeless Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey, in their 16th and 13th seasons, respectively. On the ground, Willis McGahee is approaching another 1,000 yard season.

Head Coach John Fox is also due credit. He put Tebow in for the struggling Kyle Orton in week 5 against San Diego. Tebow’s 16-point comeback against the Chargers would come up short, but would be a sign of things to come. After a week 6 bye, Tebow was named Denver’s starting QB. With Tebow at the helm, Denver is the only NFL team running a read-option—and it’s working. Since week 7, Tebow is 7-1 as a starter and has 5 fourth quarter comebacks in this current six-game win streak. The team, fans and team execs are buying into Tebow and rallying around him.

Now that Tebow is winning do the Jaguars regret not taking him with the 10th pick in the 2010 draft? Has he played up to being worth that 10th pick? Tebow, a Florida product, would’ve injected much needed life into the dying Jaguars franchise, which is always at the top of the list of teams to move to LA. Would embracing Tebow on offense work the same in Jacksonville? Could they run a read option? The offense would benefit from having the NFL’s leading rusher in Maurice Jones-Drew (1,222 yds, 7 TDs).

That’s all too hypothetical for now but back to reality. At 8-5 Denver leads the AFC West and is on track to win the division for the first time since 2005. With a solid defense, the NFL’s top ranked rushing offense and the unassailable Tim Tebow spearheading the offense, who’s to say Denver isn’t capable of a playoff run?

Either way you look at him, he gives every game his all. Even if you’re not a fan, he is good for the NFL. He’s a rare good character guy who is bringing new fans and stirring up interest for the NFL. The league likes this and so do fans that enjoy seeing the game evolve. He inspires those around him and his team doesn’t care if they’re winning in a non-traditional way. To sum it up, the Broncos keep games close and Tebow wins in crunch time. Along the way, the Broncos and Tebow will continue to silence critics…like Darrelle Revis.

Tebow and the Broncos in the playoffs are only a fantasy for now. In the meantime, many questions will arise: will opposing teams figure out Denver’s read option, is Tebow a long term solution and could the Broncos really bring the Lombardi trophy back to Denver? But with Tebow, as the University of Florida, Denver Broncos and coach John Fox have shown, it doesn’t hurt to have a little faith.

]]>https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/197/feed/0probonocbFrom Penn State to State Penhttps://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/from-penn-state-to-state-pen/
https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/from-penn-state-to-state-pen/#respondWed, 07 Dec 2011 19:41:32 +0000http://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/?p=194 From Penn State to State Pen

A colossal story has stunned not only the world of collegiate athletics, but also the world in general. This story goes much deeper than football and “horsing around.” It’s not about players getting tattoos or being paid, it makes all recent, albeit many, college scandals pale in comparison. If you delve deep into the story, you will be amazed at its magnitude.

So you might’ve heard recently about this whole Jerry Sandusky, Penn State scandal thing. The Sandusky story is ubiquitous today. The story re-emerged in 2010 after the Harrisburg Patriot-Newsbroke the story on Sandusky being the subject of a grand jury investigation.

The cover-up that is now being exposed was deemed necessary by the brass of PSU. Now remember, this scandal, these alleged sexual assaults, didn’t occur last week. They were ongoing, possibly over the course of 40+ years. Penn State was well aware of Sandusky’s actions due to prior inquiries and after his retirement in 1999 gave Sandusky free reign of the school’s athletic facilities and even his own office. This scandal is partly due to the cover-up by PSU, but does it have conspiracy element?

This story goes beyond football and retirees run amuck. In 1998, Sandusky was the subject of an investigation led by PA District Attorney Roy Gricar. Gricar opted not to prosecute Sandusky, which today is drawing a lot of criticism. The unfortunate thing is that no one knows where to address these criticisms because Gricar vanished without a trace in April 2005. Police said they’ve determined Gricar’s disappearance and the Sandusky case are not related. One PSU student thinks that the cases could definitely be linked—that makes two of us.

“With the power that Penn State holds and who they knew, I could see them being behind his disappearance. So much that was hidden before is coming out, and it seems they (PSU) would do anything to protect their brand,” said a PSU student who wished to remain anonymous.

A public relations nightmare, the scandal has cut out Penn State’s work for them. The early solution to show PSU was active in solving their problems was to clean house. On November 9, PSU President Graham Spanier lost his job and the once infallible head coach Joe Paterno was fired. Did these drastic measures calm the public outcry for action? Not even close, says one Penn State student.

“I’m disgusted. Where were our leaders during the whole ordeal? I didn’t hear anything from President Spanier until it was about him losing his job, ” said Craig Stone a senior at Penn State.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, sales of clothing with the PSU name have already dropped 40%. Correlations between statistics like this and the scandal will only increase with time. This scandal has permanently tarnished the once respected PSU name, reputation and brand. The long-term effects on the university that will influence admissions, patronage and so much more are starting to emerge and will be seen on into the future. This is only the beginning.

]]>https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/from-penn-state-to-state-pen/feed/0probonocbNFL Midseason Reporthttps://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/nfl-midseason-report/
https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/nfl-midseason-report/#respondMon, 07 Nov 2011 03:01:32 +0000http://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/?p=173Half the NFL season is over, so it is the perfect time to take a look back at our preseason picks and judge how we did. There is no trick journalism here…we’re just that good. Alright fine, our picks weren’t that great, but sports are about unpredictability. And that’s our defense. Let’s see who we picked and how they turned out.

NFC

Contenders

Atlanta

At 4-3 the Falcons look pretty good, but not as good as we’d thought. The run defense is continuing where it left off last year, currently ranked 7th allowing 98.4 yds/ game. After a king’s ransom for Julio Jones, the offense hasn’t seem to hit its stride with Matt Ryan having a pedestrian 9 TDs to 8 INTs. Normally unstoppable at home, Atlanta looked questionable after blowing an early lead and eventually losing 25-14 to GB, their first loss in 23 games after having the lead at halftime.

Green Bay

The Super Bowl Champs haven’t lost a game since week 15 against the Patriots 31-27 when backup QB Matt Flynn was put in the game after an injury to Aaron Rodgers. Flynn played surprisingly well and the Flynn-led Pack almost pulled off the win. But that was last year. Aaron Rodgers is playing out of his mind, shredding any opposing defense that’s put in front of him. Rodgers has a 125.7 passer rating (1st), 20 TDs (1st), 2372 yards passing (3nd) and just 3 INTs. The Packers defense however has not looked as dominant as it was last year. Charles Woodson with his 5 INTs and the rest of the defense have held it together by forcing turnovers when it matters most.

Philadelphia Eagles

The “dream team” started the season off with some troubles. After beating the lowly Rams (1-6), Philly dropped their next four. In defense of the Eagles, they did lose to solid teams though. The Giants (4-3), New York (5-2), San Francisco (5-2) and Buffalo (5-2) are all above .500. But that isn’t how the “dream team” was supposed to play. Philly turned it on then, and they won their last two games, both over division opponents. With those wins in the books, the most recent over Dallas very convincing, Philly seems like they’re back on the right track. They have a huge game coming up against the Chicago Bears on Monday night. If they can win that one, they’ll be back at .500. And looking ahead, Philly has games against the Cardinals, Seahawks and Miami. Those should all be easy wins. They do have to face the Jets and Patriots though, which are always tough games. The Eagles have so much talent, it shouldn’t be this hard. Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Asante Samuel should be more valuable than sub-.500 shouldn’t they? PBSB has faith the Eagles will keep building and finish much better than they started. McCoy is second in the league in rushing yards (754), so feed that guy the ball. The biggest indicators on the Eagles results will be their rushing defense and whether Vick can hold onto the ball. He already has eight picks, more than he had all of last year.

How they’ll finish: 10-6

New Orleans Saints

Who are the real New Orleans Saints? The guys who beat the Colts 61-7 (we know the Colts are basically a middle school team, but still, 61 is a whole lot of points) or the team that just lost to the Rams last week? Even after giving St. Louis their first win, the Saints are 5-3. One loss to the undefeated Super Bowl champs and another to division rival Tampa Bay are losses News Orleans can live with.

They need to focus on their ground game. They spent a pick on Mark Ingram, paid Darren Sproles in free agency and kept Pierre Thomas. Use all three of those guys and get the play-action going for Drew Brees. Between those three back, they should be averaging more than 117 yards per game. But remember, the run is meant to set up the pass. They have to keep giving Brees opportunities to sling it. He’s already thrown for 2,746 yards (first in the league by nearly 400 yards) and 19 TDs (second in the league). Also, who would have thought Jimmy Graham was going to have 713 yards receiving mid-way through the season. New Orleans upcoming schedule is split. They have games against Tampa, Atlanta twice, the Giants and Detroit. But on the other hand, they play Tennessee, Minnesota and Carolina.

How they’ll finish: 11-5

Pretenders

Minnesota Vikings

So it only took the Vikings until week 7 to bench Donovan McNabb for Christian Ponder. As predicted, the NFC North is super competitive this year; Green Bay is undefeated, the Lions now look like a playoff-caliber team and the Bears 4-3 record is deceiving (see Matt Forte). It’s going to be a long year for Minnesota, unfortunately not long enough to get Andrew Luck, but pbsb thinks that they’ll be ok with Ponder under center. Ponder didn’t look terrible in his debut and the Vikings still have the best back in the NFL in Adrian Peterson.

Dallas Cowboys

Dallas is too up-and-down to trust. They’ve blown huge leads. Tony Romo isn’t dependable. They blew fourth quarter leads against the Jets and blowing a 24-point third quarter lead against Detroit. Surprisingly enough, Dallas gave the 49ers their only loss. So which team are the true Cowboys. We think they’re the ones that blow leads. There always seems like a lack of focus in Dallas, so until that changes, PBSB isn’t backing the ‘boys.

How they’ll finish: 8-8

Surprise

Detroit Lions

Detroit’s 6-2 record is somewhat misleading. They’re getting wins, but they aren’t really quality wins. Who have they beaten that are a true contender? They topped Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Minnesota, Dallas (we already talked about the Cowboys problems), Chicago and the Denver Broncos Tebows.

Calvin Johnson…is that a complete sentence yet? Because it should be. Megatron has 804 receiving yards (third in the league) and has eleven TDs, which puts him on pace to tie the NFL record for TDs in a season (Jerry Rice will truly always hold the record; he scored 22 in just 12 games during the shortened 1987 season). The Lions are ranked sixth in the league against the pass. Can that continue that when they face Green Bay twice, New Orleans and San Diego? Detroit has the best turnover differential in the league at +13. That becomes more valuable when every possession is more important.

How they’ll finish: 11-5

AFC

Contenders

Kansas City Chiefs

This pick looked really bad for a while. When they lost 41-7 to the Bills, it was before everyone knew the Bills were actually pretty good. Then they fell to the Lions and San Diego, both respectable teams. In our defense, the people we thought would be most important for Kansas City’s success, Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry, got injured in the first two games of the season. And that’s when PBSB went into a minor depression. Then the skies opened, and Kansas City turned it on. They’ve won four in a row, albeit not over the greatest teams (Minnesota, Indy, Oakland and San Diego). But wins are wins, especially when they make us look better. The Chiefs up-coming games: Miami, Denver, Oakland and Denver again. That seems like a pretty easy schedule. That’s probably because we didn’t include their tough games. New England, Pittsburgh, Chicago, the Jets and Green Bay. It won’t be easy for Kansas City the rest of the way, but they’ve found ways to win thus far, PBSB has faith it will keep going.

How they’ll finish: We have no idea…9-7?? Too up-and-down

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have one solid win…Last week against the Pats. That’s really it. Seattle, Indy, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and Arizona aren’t really impressive victories. But when it gets colder, the Steelers get better. They are already first in opposing pass yards, and eighth in opposing rush yards. They are also eighth in passing yards behind Ben “the motorcycle riding, sexual harassing” Roethisberger. Pittsburgh will always live and die by their defense, and that defense is still strong enough to get them deep into the playoffs.

How they’ll finish: 12-4

New England

At 5-2 the Patriots seem to be right about where we thought they’d be at this point in the season give or take a Brady Ugg endorsement or a Vince Wilfork INT. While Tom Brady continues to be NFL’s poster child, the Pats D isn’t where we thought it would be. They rank dead last against the pass and Albert Haynesworth isn’t having the rebirth we thought he would’ve, recording only 2 tackles at this point in the season. But a well deserved shout out goes to Kyle Arrington and his 4 INTs, good enough for 3nd in the NFL. Also, where is Ochocinco? He’s yet to reach the end zone and only has 9 receptions.

New York Jets

The Jets stand at 4-3 good enough for 3rd in the AFC East. Already having to play second fiddle to the Patriots in the division was bad enough before the Bills started to wake up. The offense has yet to get its act together ranking near the bottom of the league in rushing yds (28th), passing yds (22th) and total yds (29th). Post-Jail Plaxico hasn’t exactly been the spark for the offense that we thought he would’ve, although he did have the 3 TD on 5-reception performance against San Diego. Plax isn’t completely to blame for the offense’s woes. We blame Mark Sanchez.

Pretenders

Indianapolis Colts

It’s safe so say we told you so. Manning is donezo for the year and we see what the Colts are like without their fearless leader. We thought that they’d be bad, but come on. They’ve yet to win a game and their remaining schedule doesn’t get any easier with games against New England, Baltimore and Atlanta. How fortunate would the Colts be to land Luck? They got Manning with a #1 pick. But would Manning be a mentor to Luck or take the Favre approach to things? Anyway, the Colts look horrendous and are bound for a high draft pick.

San Diego Chargers

Oh San Diego, how you tease us. So much talent you’ve had over the past few years, but you still can’t seem to bring it all together. Back-to-back losses against the Jets and Chiefs put them back in second place in the AFC West. The Chargers have the interception leader, Eric Weddle with five. They are sixth in passing yards and fourth in passing yards against. Stopping the pass and being able to pass is huge, especially when you play in beautiful San Diego, but they will do something stupid and blow games. The Chargers are -5 in turnover differential. As much as PBSB loves San Diego for its weather, we think the Chargers will be spending their January on the beach…lucky guys.

How they’ll finish: 8-8

Surprise

Houston

Matt Schaub's wife...We approve. "He's necking with the cheerleader"

Injuries to Mario Williams and the still nicknameless Andre Johnson haven’t slowed down the Texans who at 5-3 are 1st in the wide-open AFC South. The offense is moving the ball with Arian Foster on the ground averaging 140 yards a game and Matt Schaub is 10th in the league with 264.8 yards a game. The sans Mario Williams defense is quietly near the top of many defensive categories including rushing yds 97.4 (6th) and passing 198.4 yds allowed (5th). With a solid defense, a consistent run game and a reliable QB look for the Texans to make a playoff run.

New Surprises

Miami Dolphins

We don’t think the Dolphins were the Super Bowl pick for many people this year, but 0-7? The Dolphins are at the front of the pack in the Suck 4 Luck campaign and Coach Tony Sporano recently put his house up for sale. Not much going Miami’s way this season.

Buffalo Bills

If we told you the Bills weren’t terrible you’d believe us right? Well they are actually are pretty good this year. They already beat the Pats and the Eagles. With two games against Miami, games against Tennessee and Denver, the Bills could actually win the AFC East. They had to be at the bottom of this division at the beginning of the season. We wish we were betting men. And we also wish we predicted the Bills would be good, but we just assume they will always be awful. Congratulations Buffalo. Enjoy it until you miss a big field goal.

]]>https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/nfl-midseason-report/feed/0probonocbAaronRodgersCharlesJets2Peyton ManningSchaubAthletes We Hatehttps://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/athletes-we-hate/
https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/athletes-we-hate/#respondMon, 24 Oct 2011 00:55:58 +0000http://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/?p=152Hate is a strong word. It’s used a lot in sports, maybe too much. But get used to it, because that’s what this post is about. It is important to note that there is a big difference between sports hate and regular hate. Regular hate is not cool, unless it’s that kid in school who thinks he is a tough guy but really isn’t—you can hate him all you want. But that’s one of the few exceptions. Sports hate is different. It can be one tiny thing about the athlete that makes you hate him or her. So here is our list.

Rajon Rondo: He can ball. Don’t get us wrong. But he threw Kirk Hinrich into the scorer’s table which wasn’t a cheap shot. And he must have gone to the Carmelo Anthony School of fighting, because when Hinrich came after him to retaliate, Rondo just kept backing up. If you want to fight (PBSB are lovers not fighters) then do it, but don’t cheap shot somebody then wuss out when they come back at you. Also he used to wear his headband upside down—how annoying is that. We hate it when people try to make it seem like they don’t care, but are trying really hard. “What’s that, the logo is upside down on my headband…whatever I don’t care.” Yes you do Rajon, we know you do. Plus, the dude cannot shoot a jumper.

The Williams Sister: Serena and Venus Williams are the only hopes for Americans when it comes to winning majors, but we here at PBSB can’t root for them. Their shrieks and screams are just too much for us to handle. They aren’t the only females who scream too much when they’re playing tennis, but at least Maria Sharapova is somewhat attractive. Add to the screaming that the sisters are rude and it isn’t a combination PBSB can stand behind. Their outfits are also absurd. Serena also has a temper problem. Like a very serious temper problem.

Tom Brady: This one is more of jealousy-hatred than anything else. He’s too perfect. No one should be as talented and lucky as he is.

Super Bowl rings, money, Giselle Bundchen—you name it there is a good chance Tom Brady slept with it. He does have some bad hair though, so eat that, Tom. What!? Giselle likes his hair like that. Alright, well we have nothing against this guy then, but we still don’t like him. Our ACLs have never been torn, so take that, Tom.

Mark Schlereth: You probably know Mark from his ESPN work covering the NFL. But he wants you to know him as the guy who had thousands of surgeries. If I have to hear Schlereth complain about how many surgeries he had one more time, I will go to Bristol and break his leg so he has to get another one (it’s about the two minute mark when Mark talks about himself…and the four minute mark). You played football, Mark; it’s a contact sport, so get over yourself. Maybe you should’ve done ballet if you didn’t want to get injured…but then your toes might hurt. He also tried to be an actor on a soap opera…two strikes, sir.

Old Brett Favre: We love young Favre, but flash forward to 2005ish and on. Brett Favre is now the grizzled veteran. He’s the gunslinger. He’s mulling retirement. He’s retired. He’s making a comeback. He was inching towards breaking just about every passing record, including INTs. Offseason drama with Green Bay was the norm and Favre seemed closer to retirement than ever after the 2007 season. Favre retired but made a comeback and had himself cleverly traded to the Jets after requesting his release from the Packers, which then allowed him to go to the Vikings. The move to Minnesota could’ve been a brilliant dig at new Packers GM Ted Thompson if Favre wouldn’t have thrown one last deciding INT in the NFC Championship game. His name was in the news for all the wrong reasons after his sex scandal while with the Jets and he has now resurfaced, seeking attention by giving his opinion on his successful successor Aaron Rodgers. Favre went from a painstakingly consistent player to a man that seemed to be just like every other selfish, wayward athlete.

Paul Pierce: How does he do it? He’s not the biggest guy on the court and not nearly the fastest. Paul Pierce has been getting it done in the league 13 years now. Although he’s one of the worst floppers in the game and has been accused of faking an injury, Pierce has had an impressive career, all the more reason for us at PBSB to hate him. He’s an NBA champion and Finals MVP, albeit only after BOS signed KG and Ray Allen, but anyway he’s only one of three Celtics (Larry Bird and John Havlicek) to score 20,000 points with BOS alone, has a mean 3 pt shot and is a 9 time All Star. But he cannot grow facial hair.

LeBron James: Now don’t just go putting PBSB on the side of “LeBron Haters.” If you’re not a diehard LeBron fan, it’s easy to hate him. How can you not? The man is 6’8 250 and can play virtually any position on the court. He’s still young and is now on a team that looks like they can help him earn his first, well deserved ring. It’s not his play on the court that makes us hate LBJ; he’s a clean player and his game speaks for itself. A perennial All Star, the #1 jersey seller and he’s endorsement laden; LeBron is very hateable. Things like “the Decision” and the constant comparisons to Jordan are what make us hate LBJ. There will never be another Jordan and LeBron needs to be put in his own category that includes other new age multipurpose freaks like Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge and Josh Smith.

Rodney Harrison: He could be considered one of the dirtiest players in NFL history. A study done in 2008 showed he was ranked 2nd since 2001 with 14 personal fouls. He was also a part of the Patriot teams that were caught during Spy Gate, which also doesn’t help his cause. Somehow now he’s an NFL analyst for NBC, which is a whole other topic pbsb has beef; the selection of former athletes that get hired as analysts and commentators. Harrison did however score points for his owning of Athletes We Hate Semi-Finalist Freddie “FredEx” Mitchell in the 2004 Super Bowl.

Alex Rodriguez: A-Rod is just a crappy person. We here at PBSB don’t understand how he gets girls. Either he isn’t how he seems or some women like money. It’s probably the money thing, isn’t it? Most importantly, A-Rod cheated. He took steroids and we don’t like that at all. Speaking of cheating jerks…

Barry Bonds* and other roiders: These guys cheated, plain and simple. Traditional training wasn’t enough, so these guys (Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmero, Jason Giambi, Jose Canseco and the list goes on) broke the rules by taking performance-enhancing drugs. We stuck to just baseball here, but let it be known all sport’s roiders are included. They’ve taken the joy away from the game. Now we question every single feat by an athlete. A guy jumps from 15 to 40 home runs…steroids. Someone works out all off-season and improves…has to be roids. The innocence is gone from baseball and every sport to a degree, and sadly it may never return.

For part one of this segment, Athlete We Love, continue reading below.

]]>https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/athletes-we-hate/feed/0probonocbRondoBradyFavrePierce*Nov 25 - 00:05*RodneyRoidsAthletes we lovehttps://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/athletes-we-love/
https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/athletes-we-love/#commentsFri, 14 Oct 2011 16:10:07 +0000http://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/?p=113This post and our next post will be all about the athletes who play the game. And whether or not we love or hate those athletes. Up first are the athletes we love (not all the athletes, just some of our favorites).

Michael Jordan: The greatest basketball player ever has to go top on this list. You knew exactly what you were getting from MJ. Every time on the court he gave his all. It’s not even possible to put a highlight reel of Air Jordan together (some people try), because it would be too long. Six-time NBA champ, five-time MVP (should have been more), six-time NBA Finals MVP, 14-time All Star, ten-time scoring champ, three time steals leader…OK I’ll stop there. There may never be someone as clutch as Michael again. And it wasn’t just his athleticism. He redefined his game as he got older and still dominated the league. Just remember he was not only the best offensive player in the league at the time, but also the best defensive player—an improbable combination that created one of the greatest careers in sports.

Derrick Rose: There isn’t any Bulls bias here…Rose is just the most fun player in the NBA to watch right now. That’s not to say he’s the best in the league, but he can get there. The jump he made last year was incredible. Rose truly cares about the game and wants to get better. You cannot say that for everyone in the league. While some people are out at clubs getting drunk, PBSB pictures Rose at home just hanging out. It’s perfectly fine either way (party or not) but we want the star of our team to care more about basketball than the hoochies at the bar. Rose extended his range, got even stronger and worked on his defense last offseason (some Derrick Rose in HD!); we can’t wait to see how he improves this year (get the season going!).

Richard Gasquet: This man has the prettiest backhand in the world. That isn’t a euphemism, he’s a tennis player. Gasquet hasn’t won a major yet, but he had some great tournaments last year. He also got off of a suspension for drugs, by claiming that he kissed a girl at a club who had cocaine on her lips. So whichever way that story goes, I’d like to hear more. We can even overlook the fact that he’s French and say we love him.

Ken Griffey Jr: The number one thing we can say about him is that he did it the right way. Nothing points to illegal substances and the shape of Junior’s career is the natural shape that it’s supposed to take. Great when he was younger and decayed with age. He always had a smile on his face and seemed like the most approachable guy in the world. He would be the all time home run had he not put his body on the line so much in centerfield…and had so many other players not used steroids.

Maria Kirilenko and Ana Ivanovic: Only a picture is needed to let you know why we love these ladies, so click on the links. We’ll wait…you done? How about now? OK. So, are they the best tennis players ever? No, but Ivanovic has a major win and Kirilenko is an up-and-coming 24-year-old. We don’t always have to watch sports for the talent, sometimes we watch for other things.

Ed Reed: PBSB loves a guy who does anything to get into the endzone. And that is Ed Reed. He will pitch it, or even steal it from his teammate to score points. Reed interceptions are the most second exciting things in the NFL (only losing to Devin Hester returns…and speaking of Hester)

Devin Hester: Sports are about excitement and nobody brings more excitement when he touches the ball than Devin Hester. Anytime Devin has his mitts on the pigskin, it could go for six (or he could fumble it, but that’s exciting too). Here are the best from college and the pros.

Kevin Durant: Just like Andre Johnson, there is something to be said for guys that just do their job, and do it extremely well. KD is the best scorer in the league and a blast to watch, it only helps him that he is on a fun team like the Thunder. The only thing he is missing is a good nickname. And an MVP trophy.

Kyle Farnsworth: Not for his pitching…no we don’t care about that. It’s for this. Dude is a fighter. Just like Nolan Ryan, Farnsworth isn’t afraid to beat the crap out of someone who he just threw inside on.

Mark Titus: Perhaps we see ourselves in Titus. We never peaked at the athletic level we wished. But PBSB did combine for one of the greatest plays in sixth grade basketball history. Sadly no film of this play exists, but just trust us, it was awesome. Any, Titus was the basketball walk-on at Ohio State that created the Club Trillion blog. Titus can laugh about himself, but he can still ball. A guy who knows his limits and can entertain us is a combination we can get on board with.

Charles Barkley: Chuck is just a fun loving guy. He was fun to watch as a player, and he may be just as fun to watch now as a personality. Charles was just 6-6, but averaged 11.7 rebound a game. In his post-basketball career Barley isn’t afraid to tell it how it is—or more accurately how he sees it—on any topic. It’s refreshing to find a guy that doesn’t care what others think and just speaks his mind, with humor as well.

Shaquille O’Neal: What’s not to love about Shaq? He was dominant on and off the court, winning 4 NBA titles, rookie of the year in 1993 and MVP in 2000 amongst many other accolades. Shaq was not only born for the basketball court, but also the stage. Shaq is both a versatile actor and rapper.

Jim Thorpe: An Olympic Gold Medalist in 1912 in the pentathlon and decathlon, played collegiate and pro football, baseball and basketball. And do you have a town named after you?

Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson (as an athlete, relax): Orenthal started turning heads while at USC where he won the Walter Camp Award twice, theMaxwell Award and the Heisman Trophy in a landslide. Juice was a gifted runner who was the first NFL back to rush for over 2,000 yards (in a 14 game season) with the Buffalo Bills. He also acted and did some commentating before you know the whole murder case thing.

Jim Brown: He is considered by many to be the best football player of all time. 9 Pro Bowls, 3 MVPs, 9 All Pro Team selections, over 12,000 yards, 120 TDs and much more, all with the Cleveland Browns. He dabbled in acting and is also a member of the Lacrosse Hall of Fame. The scariest thing about Brown? People say he was better at lacrosse than football.

Young Brett Favre: Young Favre (1992-2006ish) was the poster child for the blue collar, tough nosed, selfless athlete. He holds virtually every NFL passing record including TDs (508), yards (71,838) and consecutive starts (297). Favre was named MVP three consecutive seasons (1995-97), was a Super Bowl Champion in 1996 and simply had fun out there making a name for himself as a gunslinger.

Jackie Robinson: Not much needs to be said about the man that bravely broke down the color barrier in professional baseball all while putting up some great stats including a .311 BA, .409 OBP and over 1,500 hits.

Wilt Chamerberlain: A Harlem Globetrotter, the only player to drop 100 pts in a game and the dude also had game off the court.

Barry Sanders: Watching Barry Sanders run was beautiful, even if it was against your favorite team. No one should be able to change directions that fast. Speed, vision, quickness Sanders had it all. He didn’t need to run through people, because he could just run around them. One of the greatest people to make a highlight reel of, there will never be another Barry Sanders.

Bo Jackson:Bo Knows that there’s a trend here with these multi-sport athletes. Jackson was an all-star in the NFL and MLB. He was drafted by the Yankees, but chose to play college football on scholarship at Auburn where he went on to win the Heisman.

]]>https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/athletes-we-love/feed/1probonocbrichard-gasquetFARNSWORTH MILLER WILSONMarkTitusOJbrett-favre-youngwilt20000bo_jacksonHey That’s Random It’s…https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/06/hey-thats-random-its/
https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/06/hey-thats-random-its/#respondThu, 06 Oct 2011 00:12:04 +0000http://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/?p=103A new segment pbsb is introducing is the ‘Hey That’s Random It’s…’ The title pretty much says it all. Every week or so we’ll highlight some random aspect of athletics, be it a particular sport, game or player. This week it’s a player and ‘Hey that’s random, it’s…

Rasheed Wallace

“Ball Don’t Lie”

Who better to start off this new segment than Sheed? Drafted 4th overall out of UNC in 1995 by the Washington Bullets, yes they went on to become the Wizards, Sheed went on to play 16 season in the NBA with the Bullets, Portland Trailblazers, one game with the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics.

Sheed tore it up at UNC

A Philadelphia native, Rasheed attended Simon Gratz High School where he drew the attention from the University of North Carolina. In the 92-93 season, Wallace was named by USA Today the High School Basketball Player of the Year. Rumor has is that Wallace’s coach would only play him for one half of the game, yet Sheed would still average 19 points. He was one of many future NBA greats to play in the McDonald’s High School All American game, which Sheed fouled out, something most players can’t say about their experience.

While at Carolina, Sheed excelled. He helped the Heels reach the Final Four in 1995 alongside Jerry Stackhouse. Sheed also holds the all time shooting percentage record for the ACC with 0.635. Off the court Sheed would hone his videogame skills at the student union building. Apparently Sheed had a nack for some Mortal Kombat II and NBA Jam. Reporters would have to seek him out to get interviews, which most likely annoyed the man while he’s trying to unwind. Sheed spent just a short time at UNC, but definitely made a name for himself. He was drafted in 95’ by the Bullets, which began his 16-season career.

After a short stay in Washington, where he was named to the Rookie All-Star team, Sheed was traded to the Portland Trailblazers. His years in Portland could be considered some of his most memorable while in the league. This is where he would set the record for most technical fouls in a season with 41. Sheed holds the all time NBA record for techs with 304.

In Portland, Sheed’s notoriety grew. When asked if he could find a good cheesesteak in Portland, the Philly native appropriately replied “Hell no!” The team would be dubbed the “JailBlazers” because of the roster’s laundry list of off the court antics. The roster included: Ruben Patterson, a naughty Shawn Kemp, Damon Stoudamire and Zach Randolph, who, on paper made a pretty damn good line up.

The Jailblazers looked great on paper, which later was rolled into a fat spliff.

The project in Portland however did not work and Sheed was traded to Atlanta, where he played one game–one pretty good game (20 pts 6 rebs 5 blocks 2 assists & 1 steal). After the layover that was his career in Atlanta, Sheed was a Detroit Piston. Sheed would win an NBA Title in 2004 with Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups and co.

After the core of the Detroit team was broken up, Sheed signed with the Boston Celtics, which is where he would wrap up his memorable career.

Sheed giving a well deserved smooth to the Larry O'Brien trophy

Rasheed Wallace is the type of athletic personality that we love at pbsb. Yeah, he may have seemed like a jerk to some, but Rasheed Wallace was always a genuine person on and off the court. It has been said of Wallace that he would avoid post-game interviews to talk to his mom. Now how can you have animosity towards the guy after hearing that? He performed well on the court and backed up his talk. He was a star during every level of his basketball career. Players like Sheed bring an attitude and personality to sports that attract and create fans, like us.

]]>https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/06/hey-thats-random-its/feed/0probonocbRasheed Wallace UNC Dunk MixSheedAF1-Blkxin_1206011612280962470117Rivalry Renewed: The Greatest Sports Rivalryhttps://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/rivalry-renewed-the-greatest-sports-rivalry/
https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/rivalry-renewed-the-greatest-sports-rivalry/#commentsSun, 25 Sep 2011 17:33:23 +0000http://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/?p=78We here at PBSB love the rivalry aspect of athletics. Rivalries tend to evoke different levels of emotion from all those participating, from the players on the field to the rest of us losers off the field. This Sunday will bring us another chapter in the quintessential rivalry that is the Chicago Bears vs. the Green Bay Packers.

Just two dudes dressing up to watch other men tackle each other.

Two of the oldest teams in American sports, they’ve been going at it (sorry I had to, for those who clicked the link) since 1921 (Chicago leads the series 92-84, with 6 ties). The division rivals have been both champions and chumps at some point in their histories, but mainly champions. The two teams have combined for 22 NFL Championships. And yes at PBSB we count ALL titles, the teams earned them (except when it comes to the Eagles, they still haven’t won anything). And for you traditionalists, the Chicago Bears had won one (1985) Super Bowl and Green Bay four (1966, 1967, 1996 and 2010). Most recently, they played for the NFC Title last season. Green Bay would go on to win the game and the Super Bowl. Even if one team is having a stellar year and the other is not, the game is always hard fought. Fans are in for a real treat with the greatest rivalry in sports. Don’t give us the Yankees-Red Sox, they play about 60 times per season, and that isn’t a rivalry at that point, it’s like an intra-squad scrimmage. The next best rivalry is UConn-Tennessee in women’s basketball…just kidding it is probably Duke-UNC. But back to the upcoming game: This Sunday is sure to be another good one. Here’s how they match up:

Sweetness was just too perfect of a word to fit across a headband headband.

After posting his first winning season since high school, Jay Cutler leads a revamped Bears offense. The front office seems to believe in Cutler and decided to give him some more weapons on offense, always nice for a QB who always seems to be drawing criticism even when he doesn’t rightly deserve it, in Marion Barber III and Longhorn Roy Williams (basically Chicago signed all of the Cowboys back-ups for each skill position…except Jon Kitna, Dallas wasn’t giving him up). This is all part of the never ending effort in Chicago to bring the offense up to par with the defense—the effort that has failed since Walter Payton retired.The thing is though, Chicago’s defense is so good that they really don’t need an offense that badly, they’d just appreciate it if the offense didn’t blow the game. The defense is led by linebacker-extraordinaire Brian Urlacher and dual threat athlete Julius Peppers. The secondary took a hit losing Daniel Manning and they are still reeling in the loss of Mike Brown. They did however pick up another former U standout in Brandon Meriweather. Although this Chicago secondary isn’t filled with household names like Charles Woodson, they always tend to be a solid unit. The front seven can be considered one of the league’s best with Urlacher, Peppers, and Lance Briggs. Almost as consistent as the defensive play of the Bears is their special teams. And if there ever was a man worthy of the “special teams ace” title, that man is the U’s own Devin Hester. Some of the things Hester can do are not possible in mere mortals. Add in Robbie Gould and the Bears may have the best special teams both ways.

Green Bay on the other hand has one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and the championship belt owner. The Packers managed to win the title last year even though they were faced with a bunch of injuries. Stud tight end Jermichael Finley went down after only two games. The same goes for starting running back Ryan Grant, who went down in the same game. John Kuhn is the best small college fullback in the league…a possibly small group (we don’t research) but still something to be proud of. But seriously he is actually one of the best fullbacks in the league. Jordy Nelson might not be the flashiest receiver but he gets the job done, Donald Driver is older than the coaches but can still ball and Greg Jennings is a top five receiver in the league. So they have a great quarterback, great receivers and backs—the exact combo you need to score points and win games. On the defensive side of the ball, Clay Matthews is the best football playing Fabio look-alike.

With the new targets of Roy Williams and rookie Dane Sanzenbacher, will Jay Cutler be the third straight QB to throw for 400+ yards against this Packers secondary, which just lost Pro Bowler Nick “The Pick” Collins?

Let’s look back to the first two games of the season for Chicago. Jay Culter has thrown for 556 yards in the two previous games this season. That isn’t very good. Especially when you consider that Matt Forte has only ran the ball 26 times (for 117 yards). As we stated above, the Bears offense isn’t their strong suit, but it takes just one play for Chicago to gain a bunch of yards. Forte had a 56 yard reception against Atlanta, Devin Hester caught a screen pass and turned it into a 53 yarder. Johnny Knox has 30 and 25 yarders. The Bears can move the ball in big chunks, which will be the key for Jay getting 400 yards. The Packers’ defense won’t give Chicago many chances so they’ll have to make the ones they do get count.

2. How does the GB special teams unit plan to contain the always dangerous, Devin Hester?

Well, Green Bay gets help from the new 35-yard line kickoff…which is the dumbest rule since my parents made me go to bed at 8:30 (it’s not safer because returners are now taking more risks coming out of the endzone. If you want safe, start at the 20 yard line. But they won’t do that because they they’ll lose guaranteed commercial breaks). Anyway, Hester hasn’t been great returning this year, but he is always due for a TD, and an amazing one at that. He has two punt returns for 10 yards and 5 kick returns for 100 yards (29 long). That isn’t anything special. The best way for the Pack to contain Devin is to keep it away from him. Kick it out of the endzone on kickoffs and directionally punt it so he can’t get a good return. That is easier said than done, right Matt Dodge?

3. The loss of Cullen Jenkins in the offseason to the “dream team” was a big hit to the defensive line. Now with the heir apparent to his starting role, Mike Neal down with an injury, how will GB stop the CHI run game?

This may not be a problem for the Packers. The Bears have run the ball only 39 times in the two games, less than 20 per contest. Mike Martz normally has a great offensive game plan, but he will have to mix it up to keep the Packers defense guessing. But perhaps the fact that they threw the ball 77 times will work in the running games favor. Another thing working in the favor of Green Bay, and possibly a reason Martz has been less willing to run, is Chicago’s horrid offensive line. Their line sucks…I’ll say it—especially when Gabe Carimi and Lance Louis are out (that’s the right side of their o-line).

4. Will the Bears offensive line, which has allowed a league high in sacks, be able to slow down Green Bay’s rushing defense, one of the best in the league?

My initial thought is no. As stated above, the Bears are missing the starting right side of their line—a line that wasn’t great to begin with. Olin Kreutz left after being with the team from their inception in 1919. He was a big loss, as he kept people in the right position and was a coach on the field. Now it is Jay Cutler coaching from his back. B.J. Raji is a like two men in the middle of that line, and when you add the secondary into the equation it is probably going to be a long day for Cutler. I fully expect Clay Matthews to have eight sacks by the end of this game, and Kristin Cavallari’s phone number.

]]>https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/rivalry-renewed-the-greatest-sports-rivalry/feed/1probonocbBears-PackWalteraaron-rodgers-beltNFC Championship FootballAn open letter to all involved in the NBA negotiationshttps://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/an-open-letter-to-all-involved-in-the-nba-negotiations/
https://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/an-open-letter-to-all-involved-in-the-nba-negotiations/#respondTue, 20 Sep 2011 04:29:15 +0000http://probonosportsblog.wordpress.com/?p=71There was finally some good news from the NBA’s bargaining table…that was quickly followed with some bad news, but let’s try to be positive. According to the story, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and Phoenix owner Robert Sarver “expressed dissatisfaction with many of the points,” that the owners were discussing amongst themselves, after meeting with the players earlier in the day. Apparently things were going pretty well—closer than ever. According to this SB Nation story, the owners were willing to reach a compromise on a new collective bargaining deal this week.” But then Gilbert and Sarver ruined. The story also says that the Knicks’ James Dolan and Lakers’ Jerry Buss “were visibly annoyed by the demands of Gilbert and Sarver. You know, the powerful owners were mad the underlings were messing stuff up. And I can’t blame them. Later David Stern would say that the owners had “virtual unanimity.” Who knows what is really going on, but it seems as those things are getting closer, and that means an NBA season.

And that season, at this point which could still be a full season, means I will have a full season to watch rather than what I was planning to do—which was get a lot more sleep and watch more college basketball players make horrible late game decisions.

But for the first time during this negotiation it seems as though the NBA is getting closer. I haven’t been this happy since those Scarlet Johanssen pictures I found on the internet recently. And that last time I was truly happy before that was when Brian Cardinal was doing work in the NBA finals.

Now some thoughts on those owners who are trying to ruin my NBA fun—Dan Gilbert doesn’t seem to know when to shut his mouth. He said he’d win a title before Miami, and that was crazier than a weekend in Vegas with Charlie Sheen.

Russ Bengston tweeted “Welp, sabotaging a new CBA is one way for Dan Gilbert to make sure LeBron doesn’t win a title.” And that’s true. Maybe Gilbert is sneakier than we all thought. He can’t put together a team around the best player in the league, but he can derail the progress in a negotiation.

And Sarver had one of the best point guards in the game, the best passer and (undeservingly or not) a back-to-back MVP and couldn’t get by the Spurs for years. Now that his window has passed he doesn’t have to care about playing a season (side note: Steve Nash deserves to go to a contender and have a chance to win a ring. I hate to say it, but he would be amazing to watch on the Heat. He would average about 25 assists).

I’m sure both sides are trying to get everything they can, and that makes sense—it’s smart negotiating. But for just two owners to complain, and not even two of the better owners, is pretty upsetting. I just want the NBA!

(I know he is retiring I just can’t pass up an opportunity to rhyme. Maybe I should have gone with Kevin Garnett’s stare or Eddie House’s absurd flair?). I want Kobe to get mad at teammates and Russell Westbrook to freeze out the best scorer in the league by not passing him the ball. I want Baron Davis’ beard and beer belly. The list goes on and on, and I’m willing to do anything for this season to happen.

I have $14 in my wallet. You can split it $7 each way (players/owners). I also have one of the fake credit cards that are sent to you in the mail. Even though it makes me feel worth something, and like a high-roller, I would be willing to part with that as well if it got the season going. We just have to decide who gets the “Your Name Here” side.

But seriously the fans need basketball. I can’t watch hockey. I don’t even know where the puck is half the time. I even thought about learning the rules to cricket or rugby, so that I would have something to watch. Please help me. College basketball doesn’t cut it. You would think it would, being that the hoops are ten feet and all the players are getting paid, but it just isn’t the same. I need the NBA. And so do so many others.

Don’t make me go outside and be active. I can watch other people be active, and that’s what I want to do.

I even watched the WNBA the other day. I’ll repeat that. I watched the WNBA. And to be honest, I slightly enjoyed it. Look what you’ve done to me, lockout…Are you happy?

Soccer doesn’t do it for me. If I wanted to watch flopping I would just watch Manu Ginobili play. Or this video on replay forever until the NBA comes back.

The NFL got their stuff together, you can do it too. I would give up the entire NFL season to have the NBA, partly because my favorite player is already out for the season and my favorite team stunk up the joint this past weekend…but also partly because I really love pro basketball.

You’re going to lose a lot more than just a season. You’re going to lose fans, the great momentum from an amazing season and even better postseason.Also respect, but that may not matter to you guys—especially on the players side because they can’t have any respect for themselves as they are dating the women from Basketball Wives.

My sources say the lockout could last for a long time–maybe the whole season. And when I say my sources I mean the voices in my head, but they usually don’t steer me wrong.

Fans are forgiving but they aren’t going to just forget. They’ll be back to watch and buy jerseys and show up for games, but they will remember you turned your back. We fans don’t deserve an apology, but don’t forget it’s not just two sides being affected by this. If you get this all figured out before it makes the league miss any time, we won’t need an apology for anything, except some sleepless night. And to make the season happen on time, I’m willing to use my closet as a dungeon for Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Sager. See, everyone has to sacrifice for this to work.